In current computer technology a computer usually has electronic circuitry, memory, one or more processors, such as microprocessors, and long term storage medium, such as those known as a hard drive or some other type device. The computer is able to interface with a keyboard, a mouse, a track ball, a light stylus, etc., to receive input. The computer also may be interconnected with one or more other devices, such as peripheral equipment, other computers, telephone lines, etc. to receive and/or to output information, data, etc., as is well known. Usually a computer has a display on which information, data, images, etc. can be viewed by an observer, such as a person using the computer.
Historically various circuit cards have been connected in computers to add capabilities and/or to enhance capabilities. Exemplary circuit cards include video drivers, ports, memory, and others, as are well known. Many modern computers now also include a circuit card which has a modem capability and may also have a facsimile machine capability, such as those which are send only and those which are send and receive. One or more telephone connectors usually are mounted on such modem circuit cards and faxmodem circuit cards. An exemplary type connector is referred to as an RJ-11 connector or jack. Such RJ-11 jack usually is a female type, although the gender thereof is not critical.
To connect the faxmodem to a telephone system, such as that which terminates at a female RJ-11 jack wall connector or the like, a separate telephone cable is required. Such separate telephone cable usually includes a male RJ-11 connector at each end. The respective RJ-11 connectors can be plugged into their respective female RJ-11 jacks at the wall and at the faxmodem card. Unfortunately, sometimes a computer user may not have available a separate telephone cord to connect the faxmodem of the computer to a telephone system wall jack, for example. This problem is exacerbated when the computer is a portable type such as a laptop computer or a notebook computer; sometimes the telephone cord simply is left behind, forgotten, lost, and so on. Without such separate telephone cord, the faxmodem could not be used. Accordingly, it would be desirable to avoid such loss and/or to eliminate the need for such a separate telephone cord or other connector between a faxmodem card of a computer, especially a portable computer, and a telephone system.
In the past the faxmodem circuits of a computer have been able to receive incoming data, such as signals representing an incoming facsimile transmission, digital data other than facsimile format, and telephone messages, such as audio or voice type messages. The foregoing collectively may be referred to hereinafter as data, regardless of the type of data or information. Such data often is able to be stored for relatively long term storage in the hard drive or other storage medium of the computer and later can be read out, played out, transmitted out, etc. For example, a received facsimile message can be displayed on the computer monitor or printed. Digital data received can be displayed on the monitor, used to operate the computer, printed out, such as a word processed document, etc. Incoming voice messages can be digitized and stored for a subsequent playback through an appropriate amplifier and speaker system. For such purpose, a speaker jack or telephone jack which may have associated therewith amplifier equipment can be used to produce audio signals to be heard by the computer user. Usually, such audio function requires a separate amplifier system independent of the computer to receive signals from the computer and to amplify those signals to be played back by a speaker, headset, etc.
A fairly recent development in circuit card technology for use with computers, especially portable computers, and more especially relatively small size portable computers, such as laptop computers, notebook computers, personal digital assistant, etc., has been the miniature circuit card referred to as PCMCIA. The relatively small computers often do not have adequate space to include a faxmodem, for example. However, the faxmodem function and/or other functions can be provided by connecting a PCMCIA circuit card, other similar miniature circuit card, or the like, to the computer. Such PCMCIA cards usually have connectors thereon for plugging into or otherwise connecting to a PCMCIA connector slot that is built as part of the computer. When it is desired to provide the computer with faxmodem capability, a PCMCIA card having a faxmodem thereon can be plugged into such connector slot. Such a faxmodem PCMCIA card would have appropriate electronic components thereon for providing the faxmodem function in association with the power and control functions supplied by the interconnection with the computer. A separate telephone jack, such as an RJ-11 jack, may be attached to a portion of the PCMCIA card or may be built into the computer itself. A separate telephone cord is required to connect such jack to a telephone system or to some other piece of equipment to which the faxmodem is intended to be connected.
Conventional PCMCIA cards are miniature circuit cards which usually include a support, such as a printed circuit board, a multiple terminal connector at one edge of the printed circuit board, and a housing for enclosing at least part of the circuit board and electronic components (or other components) which are mounted thereon. The housing provides various protective functions, as is well known. The PCMCIA card connector is exposed at an end of the housing to provide the desired connection directly to the PCMCIA slot of the computer or such other device to which the PCMCIA card is to be connected. Sometimes space within the housing or cover of the PCMCIA card is expanded by using a stepped or non-planar housing shape.